Internal-combustion engine



Filed Jan. 50, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 a x L i i I I 4 J g 2W \Q/ r A I@ g3 Oct. 15, 1929. J. 5. coATEs 1,731,998

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Jan. 30, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1?. N 9 x E a IQ Q U a, i

A I 1 N \n i g a I I I L- 5 avwewtoz Oct. 15, 1929. J. 5. cents 1,731,993

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Fi led Jan. 50. 1 926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Get. 15, 1929 rarer rib JOSEPH S. COATES, OF GUST-ZEN, NEW YORK INTERNAL-GOMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed January 30, 1926.

The improvements are primarily designed to be used in internal combustion engines of the four cycle type, but may have other applications. Their objects are, among others,

to provide a compression or combustion chan1- her so constructed and arranged and so associated with other means that it can be thoroughly scavenged and completely recharged with a clean fuel mixture uncontaminated by spent gases, carbon or other matter; to

provide for the perfect exhaustion of the cylinder on the exhaust stroke of the piston; and to secure other advantages in construction and operation. These advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, and the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the embodiment of the improvements is set forth.

lin the saiddrawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal medial section of a portion of the head of a multiple cylinder engine, with piston and cylinder shown broken away, embodying the improvements, the line and viewpoint of the section being indicated by the dotted lines at the top of Fig. 3; i

Fig. 2 is a similar view, without the piston,

of a modification;

Fig. 8 isa transverse vertical section substant-ially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

The piston lreoiprocates in the cylinder 2 and has a concave head 3 which corresponds with the convex portions'iof the hollow rotating cylinder head 5, so that on the exhaust stroke of the piston, which occurs while the said portion. of the head is moving to position opposite the cylinder head, the cylinder is completely exhausted. A suitable spark plug or other ignition device 6 is located in a bore? near the top of the cylinder, and ignition of the fuel injthe compression chamber 9 is through the aperture provided by the bevel 8 at one side of the piston head opposite the said ignitiondevice.

The hollow cylinder head is also provided with recesses 10 alternated with the convex portions 4;, and having maximum diameters equal circumferentially to the similar diameters of the portions 4. This head rotates in a cylindrical lining sleeve 11 having apertures 12, 13 and 14;, the first for the exhaust,

Serial No. 84,831.

lining and forming therewith ports for intake, exhaust and scavenging purposes which may communicate with suitable conduits for the passage of the fluids indicated. Mounted on this cylinder 15 is a hood 28 having a medial longitudinal partition 29 dividingit into two compartments running lengthwise of the engine and over the series of engine cylinders and the rotating hollow heads which serve all the cylinders of the engine. A device for supplying a large volume of air to blow the gases from the combustion chambers (not shown) communicates with one end of one compartment,and the other is provided with a port for the es :ap'e of air therefrom, as indicated by dotted lines 3.

The hollow central portion of the multiple rotating cylinder head in communication with the water cooling system of the engine through the conduitlll, by means of .5 which water, or other cooling fluid is passed therethrough to cool the said cylinder heads. The cylinder head sections 5, 5, are connected by Oldham joints 20, and are provided at their joints with collars 21 of flexible water proof material surrounding the oint and secured to the neck betweenthe two sections by means of clamps 29 passing around them. In this manner a fluid-tight 10int provided.

The multiple cylinder head is rotated by a suitable timed mechanism (not shown) by which its rotation is synchronized with the reciprocations of the cylinders, and the cavities forming the compression chambers are staggered so to coordinate them with their respective pistons. In this manner the hen ls are so operated that one of the compression spaces is opposite each piston at the end of the compression stroke and one of the convex portions is opposite the said cylinder at the end of the exhaust stroke, while the said space is in position to communicate with the cylinder and with the fuel supply from beginning to end of the intake stroke. The cavities also register with the compartments of the blowing out hood simultaneously (see dotted lines 3) and also with the inlet compartment of said hood and the portion of the apertures 14 and 18 on the down side thereof a moment later.

In order to maintain the exact position and alignment ofthe cylinder head sections and to take up wear the said sections and their linings are slightly'tapered, preferably as shown in Fig. 1, and compression springs 23, 23 surround the connecting necks and are confined between the head sections so as to exerta constant pressure thereon tending to hold the said parts snugly in position. In order to accomplish this the spring 23 is made stronger, so as to exert a greater pressure than the spring 23' (Fig. 1) and the spring 23* is made to exert a greater pressure than the one next to the right of it. This may also be accomplished by having the springs of equal strength but under greater compression. Thus the pressure of the spring 23 may be 150 pounds and that of the spring 23 125 pounds, and so on. e V

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the head sections are oppositely tapered as shown at 5 and 5, and their linings are similarly tapered, as shown at 11 and 11, and a spring 23 'is located between each pair of them.

Other arrangements to effect the same purpose may be employed.

In operation each valve-head rotates so as to register successively with the intake at 13, the power cylinder, the exhaust at 11 and the blowing out and scavenging ports 24 and 25 of the compressed air duct, the compressed air entering the right hand duct or'compartment 26, passing through the combustion chamber, under the partition '29, and

out through the duct 27 carrying with it any combustion products or unconsumed matter haust are closed by the portions'of the rothat may remain in the combustion chamber. When the chamber passes to a position central overthe port 24 it will be in communication with thatport and also with the port 25 and the port 14, and as it passes downwardly will be in communication with the ports 24 and 14 only. This insures a thorough scavenging of the chamber, and also a certain degree of cooling. During the intake stroke one of the combustion chambers always registers with the intake and the cylinder, and during the exhaust stroke registers with the cylinder and the exhaust, while during the compression and power strokes the intake and extating valve-head "between its combustion chambers. The efiiciency of this operation, in the form shown, is promoted by the trefoil cross sectional shape of the valve-head, which facilitates the proper arrangement of the parts for the operation just described. It will also be noted that the pressure caused by each explosion is distributed with approximate uniformity throughout the valve-head so that it does not cause distortion thereof or undue pressure at any particular point in the circumference.

The details of the mechanism forrotating, timing and cooling the valve-heads, the means for maintaining a current of air under pressure through the hood 17, and other mechanism to be used in connection with the parts herein shown and described, may take any suitable form, and will be well understood by those familiar with the construction and operation of internal combustion engines and their accessories. The lubrication of the rotating valve-heads may be taken care of by a supply of lubricating liquid at the annular channels in which the springs are located and if desired small ducts for lubricating liquid extending therefrom and through the inner surface of the lining cylinders 11 may be provided.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a power cylinder, a movable head for said cylinder having recesses therein forming combustion chambers, means for moving said head and for bringing said chambers into alignment with the cylinder successively for successive explosions and means for exhausting each of said chambers in turn and for directing a scavenging fluid through said chambers after each explosion therein, in a direction opposite to the travel of said chambers.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder, a movable head for said cylinder having recesses therein forming combustion chambers, means for rotating said head and for bringing said chambers into alignment with the cylinder successively for successive explosions, and means for directing a scavenging fluid through said chambers initially in a direction opposite to said rotating chambers and subsequently in the direction of rotation.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a plurality of power cylinders, a plurality of combustion chambers for each of said cylinders, means for rotating said chambers, and whereby the chambers for each cylinder are brought into alignment with their respective power cylinders successively for successive explosions, and means for causing a scavenging fluid to pass therethrough after explosion therein, said scavenging means comprising inlet and outlet conduits for air under pressure having in dependent openings positioned to register successively and simultaneously with said combustion chambers, whereby each chamber defines a conduit connecting said openings.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a plurality of power cylinders, a plurality of combustion chambers for each of said cylinders; means for rotating said chambers, and whereby the chambers for each cylinder are brought into alignment with their respective power cylinders successively for successive explosions, and means for causing a scavenging fluid to pass theret-hrough after explosion therein, said scavenging means comprising inlet and outlet conduits for air under pressure having independent openings positioned to register successively and simultaneously with said combustion chambers, whereby each chamber defines a conduit connecting said openings, said conduits extending over and having openings registering with the combustion chambers of a plurality of said valve-heads.

l Vitness my hand this 27th day of January,

JOSEPH S. GOATES. 

